China unveils concept of giant military transport aircraft

China’s aerospace industry has unveiled the concept of a heavy transport aircraft that could significantly expand the logistical capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

According to Interesting Engineering, the Chinese design employs a blended wing-body configuration, in which the fuselage smoothly merges with the wings to form a single lifting surface. This design not only improves the aircraft’s aerodynamics but also increases the internal cargo volume, allowing it to carry more than 100 light transport vehicles.

The aircraft is reportedly designed to transport up to 120 tonnes of payload, with a maximum take-off weight of around 470 tonnes and a flight range of 6,500 kilometres at full load.

It will be capable of reaching a speed of 0.85 Mach, comparable to other large transport aircraft such as the American C-5 Galaxy and the Soviet An-124 Ruslan.

The concept emphasises versatility in challenging conditions. The aircraft is expected to be able to take off from semi-prepared runways even when fully loaded, allowing it to operate from remote or hard-to-reach airfields.

Experts believe that such a heavy transport aircraft would enable China to rapidly deploy armoured vehicles, missile systems, or mechanised infantry in the Indo-Pacific region — and potentially beyond.

By Vugar Khalilov